In a Sept. 28 Facebook post, Hickory High School Principal Ms. Dortch boasts about being chosen as a National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2017 by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for their "overall academic performance." The post goes on to say: "This coveted award affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content."

One of the commenters of that post says "Was the Klansmen photo with the Nazi salute addressed or are we pretending it didn't happen?
Hickory High School responded by saying "The pictures were not taken on school grounds but measures are being takin. We can not disclose any information at this time thank you."